you might not know the half of it. abortion debate. as the polls in the presidential race tighten mitt romney says if elected he would not pursue any abortion related legislation. >> lawmakers press for answers about the deadly attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, cbs news goes inside the compound where the assault took place. man versus mountain. an extreme stunt goes bad. this is the "cbs morning news" for wednesday, october 10, 2012. good morning. good to be with you. i'm terrell brown. this morning the race for the white house veered from a focus on the economy to an emotionaling charged debate on

social issues. in an interview yesterday with "the des moines register" mitt romney said he would not pursue abortion related legislation if elected president. >> there's no legislation with regards to abortion that i'm familiar with that would become part of my agenda. >> after the interview romney campaign said governor romney is pro life and would support legislation aimed at providing greater protections for life. romney has repeatedly said the supreme court should overturn roe v. wade. and that he would cut funding to planned parenthood, an organization that provides abortion. the obama campaign says we know about the truth on where romney stands. women can't trust him. meanwhile polls indicate romney is gaining ground in a key battleground state, that state is ohio. intensified his campaign efforts there. tara mergener has more. >> reporter: good morning. with 18 electoral votes ohio is

key to mitt romney's path to the white house and according to the latest numbers he's making progress. mitt romney and his supporters have a new message for president obama. >> you got the idea. >> reporter: romney has three more campaig stops in ohio today, for a very good reason. no republican has won the presidency without carrying ohio. . it you to go out there and find someone who voted for barack obama and come get them to join our team. >> reporter: romney's ohio poll voters are surging. >> this country is a country of equal opportunity. i think everybody has an equal chance to succeed and i think romney is for that. >> reporter: president obama is back in "washington today" but no shortage of election staff in ohio. the obama campaign has 10 campaign offices across the state. in columbus the president

reminded voters which candidate supported the auto industry bailout. >> we reinvented a dying auto industry that supports one in eight ohio jobs and has come roaring back to the top of the world. >> reporter: ohio senior citizen bill believes the president has earned another four years in the white house. >> he has got my vote because four years ago the country was in bad shape. he's done everything he could. >> reporter: romney is spending the next four days in ohio. the president is certain to be back during the final weeks of this very tight race. the latest cnn poll shows president obama still ahead in ohio by just four points. if romney loses there he'll likely have to yuan every other battleground state except new hampshire. >> tara mergener starting us off. thank you. the creators of sesame treat want president obama to leave big bird out of the campaign.

the obama campaign unveiled an ad featuring big bird. to cut funding to public broadcasting. the ad suggests romney would be tougher on sesame vaccinate than wall street. >> in iowa yesterday romney surprised his views on the attack in benghazi. >> it touch me as i recognized this young man that i thought was so impressive had lost his life in the service of his fellow men and women. >> romney has used the attack on the u.s. consulate to criticize president obama's foreign policy. today congress opened a hearing into the benghazi attack as the state department offer its most detailed description of what happened. one state department official said it was never concluded protest over an anti-islam video triggered the attack which contrast earlier accounts. today's hearing is to focus on

security issues at the consulate including efforts to rescue chris stevens from a safe-haven inside the building. >> reporter: the u.s. compound in benghazi now sits empty and abandoned. if the men who attacked these buildings on september 11th used heavy weapons there's few signs. over every window there's evidence of the billowing smoke that killed four americans. inside post it notes cling to the blackened wall left behind by fbi investigators who finally made it to this crime seen for a single day last week. cell phone video from the night of the attack shows the fire burning as looters swarmed over the compound. now a blanket of soot covers the ruins but investigators will be looking closely for evidence to show who set the blaze. this heavy sealed security gate seals the sleeping quarters behind me off from the rest of

the consulate building. it's double locked from the inside. probably by the people who took refuge in here that night. among them ambassador chris stevens. the space includes the ambassador's own bedroom. it was set up to be a secure retreat from attacks. note the barred windows all around. that night it turned into a trap. government sources say stevens personal security guard managed to climb out a window, perhaps this one where the bars were removed. the question is why stevens left behind in the dark and the smoke didn't follow. his body was pulled from that same window by a crowd hours later. the september 11th attack wasn't the first on the u.s. consulate. it had been bombed in june. on september the 8th, a commander of one of benghazi's most powerful militias met with three americans, one from the u.s. embassy to warn them about

deteriorating security. >> translator: benghazi is not safe. >> you told that to the americans. >> translator: yeah. >> reporter: the brigade commander added that he didn't think his advice or warnings were really taken to heart by nerns. but that meeting had been called to discuss the possibility of americans' private investment returning to benghazi but the subject was even under discussion considering the circumstances is remarkable. >> the taliban said it is responsible for the attack on a 14-year-old pakistani girl who spoke out against the militant. she's in critical condition this morning after doctors worked through the night to save her life. a gunman shot her yesterday on a school bus. she was wounded in the head and neck. this morning doctors removed the bullet near her. spinal cord and said her condition is improving. she began writing a blog when she was 11 about life under taliban rule and calling for girts education.

th attack was criticized by the pakistani government and u.s. state department. >> directing violence at children is barbaric, cowardly and our hearts go out to her and the others who were wound as well as fair family. >> they call their activism a new chapter and said we have to finish the chapter. >> the supreme court begins rethinking affirmative action. they will hear argument whether colleges can use race when considering admissions. a white woman said she was denied admission to the university of texas because of race. nine years ago the court ruled cools can use race. >> the judge in the trial of jerry sandusky says he expect the 68-year-old to die in prison. sandusky was sentenced 30 to 60 years in prison. some of his victims were in court. sandusky maintains his innocence throughout. the scandal rocked the school

and caused long time football coach joe paterno his job. >> watching and waiting as the meningitis outbreak spread to another state. patients who received contaminated drugs with the infection are being told to keep an eye out for infections. this is the morning news. wahlalalalallala! there'. smooth, but crisp. it's kind of like drinking a food that's a drink, or a drink that's a food, woooooh! [ male announcer ] taste it and describe the indescribable. could've had a v8. [ male announcer ] taste it and describe the indescribable. online outfit piccolo headphones buy now broadway show megapixels place to sleep little roadster war and peace deep sea diving ninja app hipster glasses 5% cash back sign up to get 5% everywhere online through december. only from discover. i don't have time for the flu. that's why i'm knocking things off my to-do list. vitamin d, done! hand sanitizer, done!

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something else to think about this morning. a warning for car owners who had their airbags replaced in the last three years. the government will announce they can be counterfeit and fail to inflate properly. car owners are asked to check a government website safercar.gov. or with your local dealer to see if your vehicle could have a counterfeit airbag. the meningitis outbreak has claimed more lives. some lawmakers are calling for stricter federal oversight to make sure this doesn't happen again. a death in florida has been linked to a tainted steroid

injection. >> reporter: george kerry and his family are in mourning and in fear. >> we're trying to keep ourselves together and focus right now on healing ourselves. >> reporter: his wife died last week of a stroke. she was diagnosed with fungal meningitis after receiving an injection of a tainted troid. george received similar injections and is awaiting test results to see if he's also infected. >> i think that right now the grief and disbelief that something like this could happen is still there. >> reporter: on tuesday new jersey became the 10th state to report an infection. 119 cases have been confirmed by the centers for disease control, 11 of them fatal. ron barb from tennessee is awaiting test results. he received two injections for back pain last month. >> symptoms started this morning with a slight stiff neck and headache. >> reporter: officials in tennessee said they identified a

second fungus, a fungus most doctors would not see. cdc says 13,000 people received the potentially contaminated drug. those patients are being told to watch for symptoms for three months. george kerry is watching and waiting and wondering why there isn't more oversight of the medical industry. >> perhaps the message is wake up, america. >> reporter: a warning that comes too late for his wife. teresa garcia, cbs news. >> take a quick break. up next on a wednesday morning your weather forecast and in sports a biker tries to go evil kneivel over a canyon in utah. ? it's eb. eggland's best eggs. better taste. better nutrition. better eggs. it's eb. i have a cold, and i took nyquil,

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. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. in new york mostly cloudy, 69. miami 9. chicago 50. dallas 72. and l.a. 71 degrees. let's check your national forecast. going to be dry across much of the country. a cold front will advance the northeast, great lakes and ohio valley. temperatures in some areas will be ten degrees below normal and few showers and thunderstorms will develop in the southwest. cbs moneywatch now. toyota issues its largest recall since 2010, and a peek at the luxury gifts in the neiman marcus catalog. >> reporter: concerns about

corporate earns sent overseas markets down. tokyo's nikkei dropped 2% to a two month losing close while the hang seng lost a fraction. toyia says it's recalling 7 1/2 million vehicles worldwide including more than 2 million in north america. the carmaker says there is a problem with the power window switch on more than a dozen different models. no crashes or injuries have been reported related to the problem. earning season on wall street is under way with alcoa reporting its third quarter result. the aluminum maker beat analysts estimates but still recorded a loss. alcoa cited china's economic slow down as a reason for lowering its estimate for aluminum products for the rest the year. alcoa released its report after the market closed. the dow lost 110 points while the nasdaq was down 47. just in time for the holidays, walmart will begin tasting a same day delivery service.

customers in select cities who buy popular items online will have them at their door step that day. walmart is trying to compete with amazon.com which is also testing same day delivery. speaking of the holidays, neiman marcus is out with its christmas catalog. this year's fantasy gift includes a walk on role in the musical "annie." a sports car that comes in red. and just for over a million bucks his and her diamond encrusted watches. and also a trip to paris. i know what you should get for us. >> you would pick the most expensive thing on the list. i want the car. i like big expensive cars. 75 more shopping days until christmas. >> i know. >> thank you so much. in sports this morning, "moneyball" came through. the a's got the win, when they needed against the detroit.

coco crisp at the wall makes a leaping catch robbing detroit of a homer. detroit now 2-1 american league division series lead. it was do or die for the giants and the reds. bailey was mowing them down striking out ten in seven innings but in the 10th, a throw to first is late. one scored and then trying to avoid the squeak. the giants survive 2-1. ♪ with a 2-1 lead in the national division seergs. during the red bull rampage in utah, an extreme mountain biker tries to jump the canyon. wipe out. yep. feet first into the dirt. had a camera on his helmet so you can see firsthand this crash landing. look again. i'm not laughing.

really. remarkably he wasn't hurt that bad. limping away with just an injured knee and a whole lot of bad words. speaking of daredevil, when we come back a super sonic jump will have to wait another day. a historic free fall falls victim to bad weather. with no added sugar, just one glass equals two servings of fruit. very fruit-tritious. or, try ocean spray light 50, with just 50 calories, a full serving of fruit and no added sugar. with tasty flavors like cranberry-pomegranate and cranberry- concord grape, it's like a fruit stand in every bottle. just...you know... demonstrating how we blend the fruits. try all our tasty ocean spray 100% and light 50 juices.

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hell-o! . here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. in washington cloudy 70 degrees. mostly sunny in atlanta 76. mostly sunny in st. louis 60 degrees. pleasant in denver 73 and sunshine in seattle, 66. a woman dying of leukemia says she was humiliated by tsa agents at an airport in washington. she was headed to hawaii last week making what she expects to be the last trip of her life. she even called ahead to tell the agents about her bags.

but agents padded her down and made her lift her shirt, even pulling back some bandages. >> when somebody wants to take a trip, especially what i call an end of life trip because you want to see your family and friends, then it becomes -- it's even more important than just taking a trip. >> the tsa issue ad statement tuesday saying their agents followed proper procedures. in moscow members of a punk band appeal their sentences. they are serving a two year prison term for doing a protest in a cathedral. their conviction on hoolaganism has been condemned in america and europe. extreme sky diver's request to make a death defying 23 mile plunge has been delayed. felix baumgartner made to it the capsule on tuesday morning but high winds forced a postponement. i hope that's not a bad omen.

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. good morning. welcome to 9news now. >> we were trying to get the graphic to go. >> we couldn't hear the music but we can do it without a theme song. good morning. it's wednesday, october 10.

i'm andrea roane. we're funny and we think so. >> just ask us. >> maybe it's the sleep deprivation kicking in. the morning starts out with a couple of clouds, fog, drizzle early. going to the nats game, 1:00, the weather looks good for that. want to start with the day planner for you and let you know we've got the clouds out there. some spotty drizzle, patchy fog. we'll get sunny today. pretty quickly we'll turn back to the sun. there's a little music unless i'm hearing things again. 5:00 temperature will be 69. the mid afternoon high about 71 with a southwest wind at 10. we still have a bunch of clouds with us this morning. you can see the southwesterly flow. showers have been more concentrated well off to the east, coastal jersey, long island and southeastern new england. locally we've had the spots of drizzle, some wet streets in areas. coming in from montgomery county, it was wet up county,

dry down county. got visibility issues in cumberland out toward petersburg. in the immediate metro, we're running about 5 to 10. that's not much of an issue. temps once again jacket weather, especially the shenandoah valley. temperatures in the 40s. martinsburg, winchester, cumberland. much milder in town starting out mid- to upper 50s. 4:27. here comes monika samtani. that's quite a list for this hour of the morning. >> it is. if you're planning to head around town, i don't know what's going o. there's a bunch of construction and one area that i want to let you know about where there's some utility work going o. i'll show you the beltway first and zoom into virginia. 66 on the inbound side from nutley street to the beltway, you want to watch out for that construction. there's also some on the inner loop on i-66 to route 7 as well. let's take a live look at 66 in centreville. this looks fine. no problems. it's nice and light as you head for the beltway till you hit the construction. now the north side of town. not only do you have

construction in several separate stretches here in silver spring and closer to bethesda but also up here in burtonsville, there's been some utility work going o. it's blocking route 198 west of route 29. so find an alternate route for you especially if it continues through the rush hour this morning. let's take a live look at the beltway toward the bw parkway and kenilworth avenue where it looks like the cones have been removed. there was construction here on the beltway so you're good to go on the east side of town. we'll come back with more traffic at 4:39. >> thank you, monika. the nationals organization  is preparing for its first home playoff game. the team has a chance to take advantage of home field. >> i can't believe it. i'm flabbergasted. the next three games will be here in d.c. which is significant because they split the series in st. louis and lost on monday so they don't quite have the mo jo working but they are home so that's good. a number of players are upbeat about the chances this afternoon and the rest of the series. they have one of the best

records in major league baseball could be the reason why. thy have moved -- they have moved on from the loss they say. >> we play especially well at home. i like where we're at and i like the attitude of the ball club. nice and relaxed and happy to be here. >> coming home playing here will be good for us. the crowd has been good for us all year. >> we definitely have the home crowd on our side but these guys, they've been here before. they're not going to give in regardless, on the road or at home. they're going to come out and put up a fight. >> the nats did pretty well here in the nation's capital of course. the team was 50-41 tied for the second best record in major league baseball this year. the nats win 3-1 at home in the regular season outscoring the cards 31-14. turning our attention to the race for the white house, mitt romney campaigns in ohio today. the buckst